Year 1: By The Numbers

It's been awhile, so thought I'd provide an update along with some stats.

The first year is nearly done: one semester down and a second almost finished.  I've also completed a Winter "BEST" session (an intensive MBA curriculum that all doctoral students in the business school are required to take over their first two years).  And I've been actively working on research.

So here are some numbers.  I'll update these at the end of this semester.

Semester 1 Classes

• Pages read for classes: 1,365
• Classes taken: 3
• Pages written for classes*: 39
• Words written for classes*: 13,797

Semester 2 Classes (as of 3/31/2015)

• Pages read: 2,997
• Classes taken: 4
• Pages written*: 35
• Words written*: 11,118

Active Research Projects

• Number of active projects: 10
• Number of experiments conducted: 8
• Pages written: 108
• Words written: 28,880
• Number of non-class presentations: 5
• Number of slides created for presentations: 66

Other

• Articles in my citation manager: 502
• Seminars attended: 28 
• Cases read for BEST: 21
• Children born: 1 

*These numbers don't include papers I worked in on classes as part of ongoing research projects; these were exclusively class assignments that didn't contribute to active projects.

Happy Birthday, Addison!

Today, January 15, 2015, Addison LaRae, our fourth child, was born.

She's our first (and likely only) Boston Baby!

She's healthy, and beautiful, and has gorgeous blond hair--just like her mommy!

I'm in love all over again!

Imposter!

Moving day is drawing nigh, and I'm overwhelmed and nervous, and am daily more convinced than ever that the adcom at the university I'll be attending made some sort of clerical error when they admitted me, and are now just too embarrassed to tell me, and plan to let me flounder about until I realize it for myself.

I have the worst case of impostor syndrome.

I'm told, though, that it's a condition that afflicts many in this profession, even among faculty in the higher echelons of the profession.  Which is an interesting paradox (might be worth researching, now that I think about it)--but I'm less interested in interesting paradoxes at the moment than I am in some validation.

And now I've resorted to groveling out here in plain view, hoping for someone to tell me "you're gonna do great!"

In all truth, I'm pretty nervous--very excited, but also feeling a great deal of trepidation.  But I'm reminded, almost daily, of how fortunate I am to be surrounded by such an incredible support system.  My wife (who never dreamed of leaving her home town, let alone moving across the country--and who is the least demanding, and most content person I've ever encountered), has turned out to be an amazing cheerleader.

She's told me at least 10 times (a day) that I'm gonna do great, and that we're going to be fine--in fact, that we're going to flourish.

Yes; we're going to flourish.  Despite a move across country; an income a fraction of what it has been; a house half the size of the one we're moving from; snow (that's bigger than you might think for a girl who grew up in a California beach town); and a baby on the way.

Oh, yeah!  I forgot to mention that, years after giving up on having another child--Shawna is pregnant!  We're ecstatic!  But, of course, this adds a level of stress to an already stressful situation.

But back to the point: despite all of this, Shawna is my biggest fan--and is holding me together when my insecurity gets a little too extreme.

And the kids have been amazing!  Alexis is actually looking forward to this (and as the one in our family with the largest social network--by far--I was a little worried about her), and Gentry is pretty excited.  Even Amiyah is excitedly telling everyone she encounters that she's moving to "Boston, Massachusetts" (yeah; she says the city/state combination almost every time--just in case someone is confused, I guess).

So, my team is charged up and ready to go.  With them behind me, I can't go wrong, can I?

Next up: moving truck arrives next week!

Moving

Moving across the country is stressful.

We're moving to a pretty desirable area, which means it's hard to find available places--and when you find them, they're very expensive.  And the availability issue is compounded by the fact that houses are old in the area, and Massachusetts is a pretty paternalistic state, and has some pretty rigid laws regarding children under six living in houses that haven't been deleaded (we have a 4 year old).

And, of course, I'm 3,000 miles away, so when something pops up, I either have to go for it sight unseen, or get out to Boston ASAP to visit.

Preparing for the move is exhausting, too.  We've been married for almost 15 years, and we've accumulated a LOT of stuff over the years.  But there's nothing like quote of $3.35 per cubic foot moving quote to make you question the wisdom of keeping your My Little Pony collection.  And I'm suddenly not so sure that I'll ever actually need to reference issues Model Train Enthusiast from the mid-90s.

But these are all just unfamiliar circumstances that I have to navigate; the stress and uncertainty are just a result of that unfamiliarity.  I've encountered--and conquered--situations far more complex (and complicated) than this.  In just a few months, I'll be fully engrossed in the pursuit of my dream, and this will just be part of the "how we got here" story.

Until then, though: can someone give me the name of a mover who is trustworthy, shows up when they say they'll show up--and is cheap?

Harvard Bound

As of today, it's official: we're Harvard Bound.

We've been pretty certain of the decision for the last few days, but wanted to sit/sleep/pray on it for a few days before locking it in.  But we've decided.

So here goes!

Sweating Season

I'll try to remember to keep this list up-to-date with interviews, acceptances (fingers-crossed), and rejections (cringe).

Interviews

• Wharton: Skype interview (1/17/2014)
• HBS: Skype interview (1/31/2014)
• Arizona State University: telephone interview (2/3/2014)
• Penn State: telephone interview (2/5/2014)
• University of North Carolina: Interview notification (2/6/2014)

Admits

• Arizona State University (Email 2/7/2014; Offer declined: 2/21/2014)
• Harvard Business School (Telephone 2/7/2014; Offer accepted: 2/21/2014)
• Penn State (Email 2/13/2014; Offer declined: 2/19/2014)
• Michigan State (Email 2/14/2014; Offer declined: 2/21/2014)

Rejects

• Wharton (Email 1/29/2014)
• University of North Carolina (2/19/2014): wonderful call; indicated they would love to have me, but felt like I was leaning elsewhere (based on my conversation with them), and didn't want to run the risk.  Best breakup call ever!

Withdrawn

• NYU Stern 
• USC Marshall
• University of Michigan, Ross

Where I Applied

A list of the programs I applied to (not in order of significance or desirability--in fact, in no particular order at all):

• Harvard Business School (Management, DBA)
• University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler (OB)
• University of Michigan, Ross (Management)
• University of Southern California, Marshall (Management and Organizations)
• The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (Management)
• Michigan State University, Broad (OB/HR)
• Arizona State University, Carey (Management)
• Pennsylvania State University, Smeal (Management and Organizations)
• New York University, Stern (Management)

Long Overdue Update

Thought it'd be good to post an update (it's been quite awhile).

We decided, in 2011, to put our grad school plans on hold for a while.  There were a few reasons--I won't bore you with too many details--but all-in-all, I think the wait has been beneficial.  In the last two years, I've been able to expand my network of relationships quite a bit, and have forged a few really exciting research partnerships.

Last summer, I started work on a pretty exciting field experimental project, and I think we are going to end up with a pretty exciting paper (or two) out of it.  At the moment I'm first author (we'll see where that goes), and I have a feeling this work might lead to my dissertation topic.

More importantly, the last two years have allowed me to explore a bit, and have brought my research interests into focus.  In hindsight, I don't think I would have done well as an applicant two years ago, largely because my research interests weren't well-defined at all, and I think my SOP would have come across as a random list of academic "hot topics".

Which brings me to now:  as you have probably inferred, I've applied to grad-school this round (for admission in Fall, 2014).  I'll post a list of schools I applied to separately, but let me refresh my bio and details for you:

Age: 34
Discipline: Management/OB
GMAT: 44V/48Q/6.0 Written/750 Overall
Research Experience/Relevant CV Info: Three papers in progress.  I'm first-author on one.  One will be submitted to a prominent journal (hopefully) within the next 2-3 months.  Seven conference presentations (including two PDWs, one of which I was listed as co-organizer for).  15 years of work experience--5 as an entrepreneur, 10 in a mid-sized manufacturing company (most recently in senior management/executive level roles).  Numerous invited speaking engagements (including a few keynote addresses, and an MBA lecture at a European B-school).  Significant media coverage of my work in industry (relevant to my research interests).
Letters of Recommendation: Three incredible researchers who I count as my friends (all of whom I've worked with on research projects).  I'm very fortunate that these folks are my friends and colleagues--and believe in my enough to recommend me for acceptance to various programs.
Other: I have a family.  I've been married nearly 15 years (to a wonderful lady who loves me enough to sacrifice by giving up the income we've been lucky to have for the past few years--and moving to a place where it snows--so that I can pursue my dream).  And I have three children, all of whom are a little anxious--but also love Daddy enough to help him follow his dream.

Schedule

OK.  It's time to map out my schedule working up to application time.  As a refresher: I'll apply this Fall for admission in 2012 to various OB programs.  Here's my tentative checklist and rough schedule:

• Finalize school list: May 1
• LOR
• Ask final recommender to write LOR: April 15
• Send recommender "guide" to all letter writers: July 1(too soon?)
• Send follow-up to letter writers: Sep 30 (?)
• SOP
• Complete draft SOP: May 1
• Draft 2 of SOP: June 15
• Final Draft SOP: August 1

And then there's my research pipeline:

• Paper 1 (4th author)
• Submit to journal: April 1
• Paper 2 (1st author)
• Present at conference: April
• Complete additional analysis & rewrite: July 1
• Submit to journal:  August 1
• Paper 3 (5th author)
• Present at conference: April

Collegiate Times Salary Database

On the note of income, a friend sent me this link to a Collegiate Times database of salaries for various universities.  There are some startling salaries there for business academics--ranging to well over $400,000 a year.  Further proof that, when you pursue your passion (and are committed and disciplined) the world will reward you.

Income

As a working professional with a family, a career that brings in a great income, and a life built around church, school and work here in sunny Central California, the thought of packing it in and heading across country to spend half a decade developing research skills is a little scary.  We've discussed with the kids and, while they are apprehensive about a new life somewhere else, and are, admittedly, not excited about a new school and a new church with new friends, they understand the reasons and are committed to the move.

And Shawna carries her own set of fears into this whole proposition; she's a little change adverse (whereas I probably enjoy change a little too much; she balances me perfectly), and I'd be lying if I said there weren't some reservations on her part.  She has a pretty enormous network of friends, and a life that's built around being "here", and restructuring that life around being "there", wherever "there" is, is a little scary.

The most pressing concern, though, for me (and perhaps Shawna as well) is the income thing.  At the end of the day, I am the provider for my family, and we have a great life; I make a really good income and we have a lot of freedom--freedom that is, without question, going to be restricted while in the PhD program.  There's going to be a challenge there, I know, but it's surmountable.

One of the things, though, that I have a great deal of peace about is income as a practicing academic.  I've read a lot of comments about academic salaries being lower than salaries in industry (particularly if you have an MBA, like I do), and on the whole, I think there's a lot of truth to that.  With my skill set and abilities, I know that there are opportunities out there where I could make, on the average, quite a bit more than the average business academic makes, and I've had people use this argument when trying to dissuade me from taking the academic path. 

But I'm old enough (and have enough experience) to know that income isn't always liberating; that is, sometimes higher income is like being in prison--it's very difficult to just walk away, regardless how miserable you are.  And as I think about those opportunities that exist in the world for me to make more money (than the average academic), most of them depress me.  Not that they aren't interesting, but they invariably bring a lot of baggage that fills me with dread.  Because the truth is, the thing that gets me going is research--exploring the uncharted territories and applying what I uncover to advance the field.

And here's the thing: not only is it what I love, it's my strength.  When I sit down and try to put my finger on that "thing" that, when it's all said and done, is going to allow me to make the greatest impact on the world, it's studying and advancing my chosen field.  Which brings this whole post around to my central point: income can't be a factor in making life decisions.  Here's why: income is simply an indicator of relative value that an individual provides to others.  Sure there are some anomalies in the data (I don't really see how Tiger Woods provides ~$100 mm in value, or how Justin Bieber provides $23 mm in value, to the world), but in general, the greater your contribution to society, the better your financial reward. 

And so my job as a functioning member of society is to determine where, and how, I can maximize my value contribution to society as a whole.  I'm sure I'd provide some value as an executive somewhere, but I'm convinced that affecting how businesses are organized toward some positive end will be far more valuable in the long-run.  And, frankly, studying and advancing knowledge vis-a-vis the academic literature is far more enjoyable to me than being a professional manager.  Hence, I'm sure I'll devote substantially more energy and time to the endeavor which translates into additional value to the world. 

My point, I guess, is that if I pick that thing that translates into me maximizing my value contribution, it will yield the highest level of income possible for me--and will, undoubtedly, bring me greater joy than any other conceivable career. 

CV Update

I've obsessed over my CV for a year, but thought it would be a good time to take an inventory of sorts.  First, the things that are long-gone (and that I can't change):

• UGrad: low GPA from an unranked state college (10 years ago)
• Grad: 4.0 MBA from second tier B-School
• Work Experience:
• 5 Years entrepreneurial experience (started a successful company)
• 5 Years successful executive level experience with a large manufacturing company

And the things that I can still do something about (if I so choose):

• GMAT: 750 (98 percentile); 48Q, 44V, 6.0 AWA.  Pretty happy with this; don't think I'll retake.
• Research: 
• Conferences: 5 presentations at 3 different conference (2 most prestigious conferences in the field; one international conference).  One PDW at Academy.
• Papers: 2 under review (may have one accepted to a good journal by app-time); working on another. 

The question is: do the pros outweigh the cons (namely, the deplorable undergrad GPA)?  Not sure--but I'm told that the research experience I have coming in is pretty impressive; perhaps it'll be enough to outweigh the embarrassing undergrad credentials!

One way or the other, I'm certainly going to continue to focus on the research through the rest of the year.  Further, I plan to take a class or two (a calculus brush-up and perhaps a methods course).  Not sure what else I can do, at this point, to improve the CV.

...an update

Toward the end of last year, my wife and I sat down and discussed my academic aspirations.   I had a very in-depth discussion with my employer, and after much obsessive analysis, we decided to postpone our academic plans for a year.

There are positives and negatives to this strategy:

Cons:

• Age: I just passed the 3 decade mark; an additional year means a lot more at 30 than it does at 23.
• Children: moving away in Fall of '12 means my children will be in their mid-teens when I'm done with the program--not the greatest time to pack up and move across country to my first academic position.

Pros:

• A chance to improve my SOP: I'm working on a few research projects; this year will (I hope) bring one (and possibly two) acceptances to well-respected journals; I'm first author on one of the papers.  All in all, this has to be a huge positive from the adcom perspective.
• Cultivate relationships: the research I'm working on is with researchers from schools I'll be applying to.  Further, I'm attending a number of conferences this year; that'll be a great opportunity to network with researchers within the field.
• Conference presentations: I've had three additional conference acceptances (all at top conferences) this year. 
• Finances: I have an additional year to get things in place financially in preparation for the drastic reduction in income while in the program.

All in all, it was the right strategy.  I suspect, given my somewhat weak undergrad record, the additional research experience and the relationship with researchers that I'll develop this year will do much to earn my a better placement than I'd have achieved had I applied last year.

I think that the greatest gain over the past 6 months or so has been the reassurance that I've selected the right path.  There were still some slight doubts last year as to whether leaving a great job at a great organization making good money was the path for me.  But the additional research experience has all but settled it for me; I have no doubts that this is the right course for me (and, interestingly, the past few months seem to have reassured my wife as well).

So, I have a few more months to work before next application round.  In the meantime, good luck to those of you who applied this round; hope my "spot" (wherever that might've been) goes to a stellar candidate who does something incredible in the field!

Italy

I've been a little absent lately, I know.  I apologize.  Not that there are hordes of followers here. 

At any rate, things have been good--busy, but good.  The owner of the company I work for had re-thunk his enthusiasm for me and a PhD, and has begun a campaign to keep me around.  Makes me feel good, but I don't think that's what I want for my life.

At any rate, that's not why I stopped by.  I'm heading out to Italy early tomorrow morning.  Going to the Sunbelt Social Networks conference in Riva, Riva de la Garda, Italy.  I and a few colleagues are presenting a paper there (I just finished the slides today; that was fun--developing my first conference presentation).

At any rate, more to come. 

Stop over to my other blog, myndfood, to check out a photoblog of the trip (I'm going to be doing a little sightseeing).

Rejection

It's been busy the past few weeks. 

As part of my role in the company I work for is Director of a management institute.  Over the past year we've branched out quite a bit and begun working with external groups, including academics, on various projects (some emperical research).  Last week we hosted our inaugural symposium, with guests from all over the US (and a couple of speakers even joining us via videoconference from Europe). 

A few of the speakers were professors from some very good schools.  They're all folks whose work I've read and who I've forged a relationship with, but it was really good to have them out as our guests to present some of their research.  I was able to spend some time discussing research ideas and we've outlined a few research paths that we're going to begin working on in the coming weeks.

All in all, very exciting.  It feels really good to build these relationships with such great academic minds, and it's a great opportunity to be able to work with such incredible people.

At dinner one evening, one of the professors asked me what draws me to academia.  I thought that was an intriguing question and I answered as truthfully as I could.  I told him that the thought of forming an idea, exploring and proving the concepts, and then disseminating that idea as something that was birthed, at least in part, in my mind, was really appealing to me.  He accepted that.

He had some interesting comments for me too, though.  The most successful academics, he said, are those who can find a place in themselves where they receive energy from the endless rejection that comes with research and publishing.  Many researchers, he indicated, are beaten down by the rejection (he admitted that at times it's difficult not to be) and their productivity slows because of it.  But finding a way to channel that feedback (even though it seems overwhelmingly harsh) into fuel for your work is a key ingredient to a prolific research career. 

That's going to be difficult for me, I think.  It's hard for me to hear how stupid my ideas are; I'm finding myself working to psych myself up for it (I know; that's really weird).  One of the other researchers at dinner made a comment that I think will help.  She said that she looks at the review and rejection process as an opportunity to better her work.  She tries to read past the harsh language in each letter and focus on pulling out the nuggets pointing her toward a more refined work product.  The first professor concurred.  He's an editor of a prestigious journal and he said that his job as an editor is to try to get papers published; that means he focuses on ensuring the author has a clear perspective as to the strengths of the article, and how those can be expounded on.  I think if I get some of that with every rejection letter, I can deal with the rejection portion.

Family Balance

The PhD process, I hear, is stressful no matter who you are.  Making the life change required in order to pursue this particular dream is particularly challenging as a husband and parent (with this whole life that we've built, the trappings of which we're going to have to pare away in order to do this).  I'm going to have to walk away from a great career, move away from a great place with wonderful friends and a great church, and leave our lovely house--and move to someplace far away, and life on substantially less money in a home (or perhaps apartment) not nearly as beautiful as this one, and meet all new friends in some strange place. 

I'm stressing myself out just writing about it. 

I'd be lying if I said it's not going to be a sacrifice; it is.  As I've "grown up" and we've had children, the natural order of life has snuck up on us and, without realizing it, we've put down some pretty deep roots.  Even my children are a little worried about leaving their school and their friends.

But then, nothing comes easy, and most things worth doing cost something.  We've talked a lot about it, and we are committed to the change.

I've been a little worried about the family/life balance once in the program, though.  A friend put me in touch with two married-with-children PhD ABD's; I chatted with each of them this week.  It was nice to pick someone's brain a bit about trying to maintain a balanced life while pursuing the PhD. 


Neither of them painted the process out to be a walk in the park; they both impressed upon me the heavy time commitment that is the PhD process.  But they also both indicated that they have a fulfilled family life; it's not the same as it used to be, they both admit, but still healthy and fulfilling.  And their children and spouses understand and are supportive.


All in all, I think that, in a strange way, the conversations were both reassuring.  It helps to know married parents who are doing this successfully--to talk to them, and know that they're not superhuman or something.  As strange as it sounds, a real conversation with a real person like me, makes me feel a little more certain; if they can do it, so can I. 

Sometimes I feel like I'm obsessing over the smallest details, but I have this desperate need to know everything there is to know about what I'm getting into.  Nothing wrong with that, is there?

I doubt I'm all that different from most others who've passed this way.

The Sum of All Fears

I read these online forums obsessively--these PhD admissions forums, where PhD hopefuls like (and including) me go and engage in sometimes enlightened discourse about the application process.  Sometimes it seems a little like the blind leading the blind.  I know there are some "hopefuls" around who know quite a bit more than I do about the PhD process (after all, I never really even considered a PhD until about two years ago; some of these folks have known since they were a freshman in high school.  OK; maybe that's an exaggeration, but you get the point), but the truth is, none of the other "hopefuls" on there have trod this path either; they're in a situation pretty similar to mine.  So it's a kind of laughable that I hop on and troll about looking for bits of sage wisdom from these other folks who, by and large, are ALSO searching for that golden bit of advice.

At any rate, I'm off topic already!  I was on today reading through profiles of folks who've received admits, and came across this signature:

Pr(Admission) = ∑ (all fears)

I thought is was pretty funny.  Not sure if I read it correctly, but I THINK it means "probability of admission equals the sum of all fears."

That's funny.

Although, I think it'd be more appropriate if it were:

1 - Pr(Admission) = ∑ (all fears)

At any rate, that's me; it's where I live.  Maybe not truly the sum of all fears, but it's hard not to obsess about Pr(Admission) when you've finally committed yourself to this drastic life change.  Because the worst thing would be fully committing yourself emotionally to this path and after all the work, all the effort, all the sacrifice, it coming down to a list of rejects and no admits. 

It happens.  I found a few on the online forums.  And they weren't unqualified applicants either. 

So I hedge my bets (by casting a wide net--applying to too many schools), and do everything I can to enhance my profile (working on a new research project with a new group of researchers, by the way; did I tell you?).  But still, the fear persists.  Because there are things hanging out there (like my undergrad GPA) that are just enormous blemishes on my profile.

If you're reading this, and you find yourself in a similar position--you fret and obsess and worry (until your hair begins to fall out and you've started biting your fingernails again, a habit you conquered ten years ago) about your chances of admission--I hate to tell you, but I don't have any magic words for you!  I do, though, stop periodically to reflect on a particularly apropros quote by Goethe:

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back-- Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth that ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too. All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have occurred. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamed would have come his way. Whatever you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now." 

I comfort myself knowing that there's power in commitment; that a higher power (Providence if you read Goethe; perhaps, if you're a little more spiritually minded like me, God) steps in and moves on your behalf.

Good thing.

To GRE or Not to GRE?

That IS the question.

You see, two of the schools that are on my list, it turns out, will only accept the GRE for the program I'm interested in (as opposed to the GMAT--which I took).  The first program is a longshot for me (one of the top 2 or 3 programs in the US), and it's not really one of my preferred programs (although it'd be hard to say no if I was accepted), but I don't think I'd take the GRE if it were just for that school.  But I was scouring the website of one of my other prospects the other evening, and found that it requires the GRE as well.

So now I'm torn.  This second program is a respected program (maybe 20-50 range), with high research output.  And as it turns out, I was introduced to a professor there at a recent conference; we had a great conversation and she's made subsequent email introductions to a few of her colleagues there in the department.  So, now, I feel like I really SHOULD take the stinkin' GRE. 

Grr...

I was REALLY looking forward to being done with the whole aptitude test thing.  All that studying, and prepping; if I take the GRE, I'll have to do it all over again.

I dunno.  Should I?

CV Draft Done...But the Stinkin' SOP!

I've completed the first draft of my CV.  It's actually a pretty solid CV!  My research experience already rivals someone who's been in a PhD program for a few years (2 major conference presentations, one regional presentation, one paper under review at a reputable journal and two other research projects in progress).  And I've got some great work experience (a very high level research oriented management role at a large manufacturing company).  All in all, I'm pretty proud of the CV.  May have a chance to add an item or two to it by app time.

The SOP is the thing that's getting me.  I've started it.  Twice.  And it just doesn't seem to flow right.  I feel like I'm devoting too much to time in the beginning to the "history" thing (the "how did you come to be interested in what you're interested in").  I've got a great story--one that does a good job of taking me through my professional career (and the SOP as written really does a good job at extrapolating the really cool things I've done in my professional career and how they play into my foundation for a solid, successful career in academia), but it seems like by the time I get down to my specific research interests, they're buried beneath the story.

That doesn't seem right.

I dunno...maybe you can help me?  I'm under no illusion that this blog is widely read, but I know a few of you read it; those who've gained admission to a few programs, tell me about your SOP. 

SIOP Presentation

One academic presentation down.  Not really a presentation, exactly; it was a poster session which means, for those non-academic folks out there reading this (incidentally, if that's you, why are you reading this?  Seems boring...), that you prepare a poster outlining your paper--the overall concept, your hypotheses, your research methodology, your results and conclusions.  Then you place that poster on a wall along with 20 or so other researchers working on related research.  Then people walk through, peruse the various posters and, occasionally, ask questions about the research.  A few even request that you send them a copy. 

It was a neat experience.  Probably not the most glamorous sort of presentation, I know; I think my wife initially had this idea that hundreds of people would pack into a hall to hear me expostulate on my lofty findings, all hanging on my every word.  Not quite like that.  But still very rewarding.

Hard to explain it because, in a sense, it's like writing your first novel and, pre-publication, boiling it all down to a few pictures posted on a bulletin board, and standing next to it as folks meander by, every once in a while stopping to ask a question.  When you think about it, it seems like it cheapens the work.  But that's not really true.  It allows you to expose a work in progress to the rest of the world.  Perhaps some get to know the work a little better; a few get to know you (a great thing if you're planning to pursue a PhD at their university); and a few provide you with pretty valuable feedback. 

So, all in all, it was a pretty rewarding experience.  I'm glad I got to experience it.

Next: a presentation at an international conference in early July (I'm going to Italy!). 

On another note, I had a chance to meet with some faculty from a number of other universities while I was at the conference.  One of my recommendations took me to a reception and introduced me to a few folks who he knows from a few other universities.  Turned out to be a very valuable experience; two of the folks I met are from universities I'll be applying to this fall--both of the universities very highly regarded (high research producing schools).  I've already been in email contact with one of the profressors, and she's brokered email introductions with four other faculty members!  Pretty excited about that!

Also had a chance to sit down with to faculty members from a very prestigious university--one that's rapidly rising toward the top of my list.  They're going to be working with me and the company I work for on some research beginning next month.  It'll be a great experience; I'll get additional research exposure and likely have at least one additional paper accepted to the Academy of Management conference next year (I can put it on my CV at app time even though it hasn't happened yet).  It'll also, likely, result in at least one additional publication by the time I start whatever program I go into.  Of equal importance, I've developed a pretty good relationship with two very influential people from a university that I'm increasingly attracted to.

All in all a good thing!